Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 3080’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘COSEH 3080’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright and mounding plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely and early flowering habit; single white-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus niger.

Cultivar denomination: ‘COSEH 3080’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus niger and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘COSEH 3080’.

The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform Helleborus plants with unique and attractive plant habit, leaf and flower coloration and resistance to pests common to Helleborus plants.

The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany in November, 2010 of two unnamed proprietary seedling selections of Helleborus niger, not patented. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany in December, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by divisions in a controlled environment in Glandorf, Germany since February, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘COSEH 3080’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘COSEH 3080’ as a new and distinct Helleborus plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Freely and early flowering habit.     -   5. Single white-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Helleborus are more uniformly mounded and are more freely flowering.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of Helleborus niger ‘COSEH 220’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,092. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Helleborus differ primarily from plants of ‘COSEH 220’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus have larger flowers than plants         of plants of ‘COSEH 220’.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus flower later than plants of         ‘COSEH 220’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Helleborus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Helleborus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘COSEH 3080’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘COSEH 3080’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the autumn in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Helleborus production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 3° C. to 18° C. Plants were 14 months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus niger ‘COSEH 3080’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Helleborus niger, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Helleborus niger, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two months at             temperatures about 12° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             months at temperatures ranging from 4° C. to 15° C.         -   Root description.—Thick to thin, fleshy; typically white to             brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Sparse. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; relatively             compact, upright and mounding plant habit with flowers held             just above the foliar plane; plant shape, roughly flattened             globular; moderately vigorous growth habit; moderate growth             rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 24.9             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 27.3 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 38.4 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in a basal rosette; leaves             palmately compound with typically seven leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaf length.—About 12.4 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 12.6 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 9 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Leaf shape.—Palmate; reniform in outline.         -   Leaflet shape.—Narrowly obovate.         -   Leaflet apex.—Abruptly acute.         -   Leaflet base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaflet margin.—Serrate.         -   Leaflet texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; slightly rugose; glossy.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaflets, upper surface: Close to             between 143A and 144A. Developing leaflets, lower surface:             Close to 144A. Fully developed leaflets, upper surface:             Close to darker than between 147A and N189A; venation, close             to 147B. Fully developed leaflets, lower surface: Close to             143C; venation, close to 138C occasionally tinged with close             to 176C to 176D.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 16.4 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 144B heavily tinged and             speckled with close to 178A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate flowers arranged             solitary or in pairs; freely and uniform flowering habit             with about 17 flowers developing per plant; flowers facing             outwardly to slightly nodding.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten             months after planting; plants flower from autumn into winter             in Germany.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm.             Shape: Ovate. Texture and luster: Glabrous; matte. Color:             Close to 150D; towards the apex, close to NN155D.         -   Flower diameter.—About 9.4 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 3.6 cm.         -   Petals.—Transformed into nectaries.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five, arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 4.5 cm. Width: About 3.8 cm. Shape:             Broadly ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous;             matte. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Close to NN155D. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to NN155D; towards the base, tinged with             close to 70C.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per flower: Typically one. Length:             About 5.2 cm. Width: About 3.3 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin: Entire; undulate.             Color, upper surface: Close to between NN137A and 147A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 147B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 23.3 cm. Diameter: About 6.5 mm.             Aspect: About 15° from vertical. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture and luster: Glabrous; slightly glossy.             Color: Close to 145B, slightly speckled with close to 183B             to 183C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Aspect: About 35° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture and luster: Glabrous; glossy. Color: Close             to 145B, slightly speckled with close to 183B to 183C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:             About 120. Filament length: About 1.1 cm. Filament color:             Close to NN155D. Anther shape: Reniform; basifixed. Anther             size: About 1.5 mm by 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 3B to 3C.             Pollen amount: Moderate to abundant. Pollen color: Close to             2D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: About eight. Pistil             length: About 8 mm. Stigma diameter: About 0.3 mm. Stigma             shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 145D. Style             length: About 7.5 mm. Style color: Close to NN155C. Ovary             color: Close to 150D. Nectaries (transformed petals):             Quantity per flower: About 15. Length: About 1 cm. Diameter:             About 2 mm. Shape: Tubular, flattened. Texture and luster,             inner surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster,             outer surface: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color, immature,             inner and outer surfaces: Close to 150B; towards the apex,             close to 154B. Color, mature, inner and outer surfaces:             Close to N144A; towards the apex, close to 13A to 13B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Helleborus. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and to be     suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 9. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Helleborus plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 3080’ as illustrated and described. 